The present invention relates to a case for receiving at least one data storage disk. The case is comprised of a housing with a support for the data storage disk arranged therein. The housing is comprised of a base and a lid whereby the base and the lid have a substantially flat rectangular bottom plate, respectively, top plate with side walls at their lateral edges. The base and the lid are pivotably connected to one another whereby the means for pivoting is formed by pivot pins on oppositely arranged sidewalls of the base or the lid which engage pivot holes which are provided at the corresponding sidewalls at the respective other part of the housing.
Such cases for receiving data storage disks are, for example, known for receiving, storing, and selling so-called CDs. These known cases are in the form of a housing and the base and the lid are, in general, made of transparent plastic material, whereby the support for the data storage disk which is insertable into the base is, in general, made of a dark colored plastic material.
Various embodiments of such cases are known which, however, are all designed very similarly. In general, the base is provided with a flat rectangular bottom plate and four sidewalls.
Into this base the support for the data storage disk is insertable. Between the support for the data storage disk and the base a cover sheet with pictures can be inserted which cover sheet refers to the data storage disk. This cover sheet extends upward along the rearward and the forward wall so that the title is visible at the edges of a stored case.
The lid, in General, is also provided with a rectangular, substantially square top plate which is somewhat shorter than the base. Two sidewalls are connected to this top plate. They extend to the rear and form elastic arms with pivot pins which engage corresponding pivot holes in the rearward portion of the base and provide a pivoting axis for pivoting the lid relative to the base. In this manner, the lid can be closed or opened over an angle of 180.degree..
The side walls of the lid are provided with small, semi-circular tongues that extend to the rear so that between the tongues and the top plate it is also possible to insert cover sheets, information sheets etc.
The known embodiments of such cases differ in general in the constructive means for changing the receiving capacity. For this purpose different arrangements of the base, the lid, and the support are suggested. The support is essentially a rectangular, formed piece which is insertable into the base. In the center of the support a bore is provided which corresponds to the center hole of the data storage disk. Concentric to this bore a slightly elevated small disk is provided that forms a support surface for the circular inner area of the disk which area does not have information stored thereon. In this manner the area of the disk on which information is stored thus floats freely on the circular receiving element of the support so that no contact and no friction between the parts of the disk on which information is stored and the packaging is possible. About the bore of the support segment cutouts are provided which have hooks for engaging or catching the edge of the center hole of the plate.
For receiving a plurality of CDs a multi storage case is suggested. Such multi storage cases are, for example, known from European publication 114 631, European publication 420 350 and German Gebrauchsmuster 92 01 879.
In all known case embodiments the two sidewalls of the lid extend to the rear and form elastic arms with pivot pins which pivot pins, when the elastic arms are slightly bent outwardly, can engage, due to their elasticity, corresponding pivot holes in the sidewalls of the base so that a pivoting axis for pivoting the lid relative to the base is formed.
For selling such known CD cases it is necessary to provide a safety means in order to ensure that the customer indeed buys an unopened CD case, respectively, in order to ensure that the original CD placed into the case is still present in the case. Such safety means also serve as anti-theft devices. In the past the entire CD cases have been enclosed in a cellophane wrap; however, at present, in view of environmental considerations, other kinds of safety means have been suggested. For example, a tape in the form of a narrow band is positioned about the CD case such that it can no longer be opened. For this purpose, the tape is guided tightly about the CD case and the ends are connected. The tape extends parallel to the pivoting axis on the top portion and the bottom portion of the case. In the alternative, the (adhesive) tape is applied transverse to the pivoting axis of the top and the base.
The known tape arrangement has been successfully used for the purpose of ensuring that the original CD is still present as well as for complying with environmental considerations. However, it does not provide a sufficient anti-theft device. Due to the design of the pivot between the lid and the base it is possible, despite the presence of the applied tape, to displace the elastic arms of the lid relative to the base and to displace the entire lid relative to the base without lifting the lid of the base. The tape is not damaged during this displacement. The CD can be removed from the case when the base and the lid are displaced relative to one another to a certain extent. The lid can be returned into its initial position and the pivot pins at the elastic arms can be reinserted into the corresponding pivot holes within the base. Due to the information and cover sheets arranged at the base and the lid, it is impossible to determine despite the tape whether the case is empty or contains an unwanted CD.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve a case of the aforementioned kind for data storage disks such that a detachment of the pivot between the lid and the base is impossible when the case is closed.